


Just The Girl

by DerekHaleGirl97



Series: Girl!Stiles [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Laura Hale, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Always Female Stiles Stilinski, Angst with a Happy Ending, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski are the Same Age, Derek Hale is a Jerk, Derek Needs To Use His Words, Derek is a Failwolf, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heartache, Jealous Derek, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Lydia is a Good Friend, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Pining, Pining Derek, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Singer Stiles Stilinski, Unrequited Love, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-10-14 00:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10525044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerekHaleGirl97/pseuds/DerekHaleGirl97
Summary: Prompt from storyjunkie:"Where Derek comes home from college and meets a beautiful girl while grabbing a coffee and bonus she's his mate only she doesn't seem to like him .He finds out later that the girl is none other then Stiles the nerdy ,shy girl who he publicly rejected in favor of .....Now her coldness towards him made sense and Derek has to work hard to prove to Stiles that he's serious about her and not just because she's now hot."





	1. She's A Mystery

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally happened! 
> 
> I was given my first prompt by the awesome storyjunkie and this is what I wrote! Don't worry, there's going to be at least three parts to this. I just couldn't wait to finish it to post it. XD 
> 
> Hopefully, you guys like it and if you have a prompt of your own, don't be afraid to share with me! Just be a little moderate because I do have school and stuff. 
> 
> Hope you guys like it!
> 
> \- Jo'E
> 
> (P.S. The title comes from the song Just The Girl by the Circle Five. Which by the way is my favorite childhood song! I used to have my own CD player and my Mom got me the NOW 25 top songs CD and I played this song all the time! Oh the nostalgia!)

Derek Hale was never the kind of person who liked mornings. Not since when he was a kid had he ever found waking up at five in the morning to be such a struggle. He personally blames it on the fact that he’s a werewolf. Why? Well, maybe it has to do with the fact that he spends one night of each month running around naked like some crazed lunatic. (“Laura, that happened one time and I was fifteen. Can you please just let it go?” “No, baby brother, I most certainly will not.”) Then again, that usually doesn’t explain the rest of the days of the month. He thinks it could be a matter of personal preference. Who likes mornings anyway?

So, one of the ways he has found that would make rising with the sun bearable is having his daily dose of caffeine. It’s not exactly a healthy way to start the day, but Derek has gotten so addicted to the stuff that he can’t be a normal person without having a cup of coffee. That is why Derek is heading towards his favorite little coffee shop in downtown while he’s home for the summer. The last semester at Berkley had really kicked his ass, despite all the werewolf stamina, and literally drained him of all his usual energy. Derek is just glad that the school year is over and he can enjoy the summer spending time with his family and maybe catching up with a few friends from high school.

Like he’s currently doing right now with Erica Reyes.

“So, I said, “Bitch, please. You think you’re so dope with all that fake Prada and plastic surgery.” You should have seen the look on her face! It was all like-,” Erica paused and made the ugliest face she could conjure up, “It was so worth not having to get my shopping done. Ha, you should have been there.”

“And see you harassing Mrs. Blake?” Derek quirks a brow at her. “Yeah, that is something that would be fun to see.”

“Well, you’re going to be here all summer,” Erica chirps. “There is bound to be something we could get in trouble for. Three months is a long time. Who’s watching your sweet new bachelor pad, anyway?”

“I’m going back to San Francisco on weekends,” Derek informs her. Finally, after two years of living in the dorms at Berkley, Derek had managed to save enough money to get himself a loft that was a good distance from the campus. It was a nice place, and Derek is really proud of having a place of his own that wasn’t his childhood home.

“Ooh, can I come and chill out with you sometime?” Erica asks enthusiastically.

“Sure, if you promise not to throw a party there,” Derek smirks at her before opening the door to Edythe’s Coffee Shop for her.

“Please.” Erica waves her hand while walking into the café. “I’m not some werewolf trying to impress my temporary love interest.”

“Yeah, but you are the kind of person who would have sex on my couch just for the fun of it.” Derek rolls his eyes and follows in after her. He takes only two steps inside before he is suddenly hit with the familiar scent of coffee beans, French vanilla crème, cinnamon spice, and the fresh pastries that were behind the glass counters. Derek had always liked going to Edythe’s Coffee Shop, even when he was in high school. He always loved the homely feel, the fancy Paris-based décor, and the way it just felt he had stepped into a time machine and would travel back to those times when his Mom would bring him here. This was his second home, and he had missed coming by here every single day since he graduated and left for college.

Derek and Erica wondered to the counter and were greeted by a friendly face. Isaac Lahey stood behind the counter, a dark green apron tied around his waist and his black shirt was already covered in flower from making the pastries. Isaac is Derek’s long time best friend, having met in kindergarten and growing up in the tree house that was still standing behind the Hale house. Isaac didn’t go to Berkley, instead he took up classes at the local Community College here and is taking Culinary Arts. Mrs. Swan, the owner of the shop, had hired Isaac almost immediately after turning sixteen and has been working here ever since.

“Sup, man,” Derek greets while he and Isaac do their signature high five that they’ve perfected since middle school.

“Hey, bro. I knew you’d eventually find your way back here,” Isaac says, cheekily. “Should I get you your usual?”

“Obviously. You know, the stuff they make at Starbucks can’t compare to Mrs. Swan’s brew.” Derek smirks while Isaac rings him up.

“Mrs. S would be happy to know you are still committed.”  Isaac playfully rolls his eyes before turning to Erica. “Anything for you, Bombshell?”

“Just give me a frappe and a scone.” Erica sends Isaac a wink before pulling a bill from her bra. Since she got the bite from his Mom, Erica has grown a new sense of confidence once her epilepsy was gone. She’d taken to wearing more provocative clothes, which was a dramatic change from sweatshirts and sweat pants. Nowadays, they’re used to Erica being a little more sensual than she used to be.

“Coming right up,” Isaac takes their money before turning around to fill their orders.

Derek and Erica went to the end of the counter where the order is picked up once Isaac finishes. They know best not to disturb Isaac when he worked, knowing full well that when Isaac has a task, he is fully set on focusing only on that task until it was done. They know Isaac does it because he actually likes his job enough to keep it far longer than six years. After the all the hell he went through at home because of his Dad, working at the shop had helped him earn enough money so that he could live on his own after he turned eighteen. He owes a lot to Mrs. S for hiring him on the spot.

Derek and Erica spend the time waiting for their orders by conversing about college. Erica and Boyd are also attending the Community College, both not really ready to leave Beacon Hills just yet. They do want to head on over to UCLA once they get their associate’s and possibly travel around the world once they save enough money. Mostly for them, they’re just kicking back and focusing on school and work. Derek, on the other hand, has been looking into going Study Abroad before the end of the summer. He wants to go to Europe to earn credits for his Creative Writing major. He already has it all planned, just needs to save money for the personal expenses.

“Ice coffee, black with two sugars!” Isaac calls after placing a tumbler on the counter, which Derek finds odd because Isaac could obviously see him standing right there.

However, he doesn’t give it much thought because Isaac usually calls out of habit until he mindlessly goes and reaches for the cup. Surprisingly, his hand meets the warmth of someone else’s hand, making him jump slightly before turning to meet eyes with the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. The girl was standing a foot or so behind him, hand already curled around the drink. She had long, thick brown hair that went way past her shoulders and curled at the ends like waves. She had pale skin with moles dotting her face from the left side on her cheek. Pink and plump lips that were pouting ever so slightly that made Derek want to kiss them. She had on a large sweater that swallowed her frame and was big enough to fall off the shoulder, revealing more skin to him.

What drew Derek in the most were her very large and expressive eyes. They were so big that they reminded him of Bambi, all wide and innocent like. Her eyes were a shade of gold, a golden brown that looked like whiskey. No, they looked like ambers, so illuminating and bright that Derek could easily confuse them with the sun if he wasn’t paying attention. He loved how they were filled with such fire that he wondered if they were actually expressing them with an emotion, or if they were naturally like that.

Then, something in him began to stir. A sudden warmth rushed through him, though, it felt like he was being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold night. His heart quickened in pace and he could feel his wolf stirring under his skin. It was pulling him towards the girl, wanting to touch her, feel how smooth her skin looks against his, and even press himself onto her pulse point so he can inhale her scent. Which he is now barely noticing, though it wasn’t much different than the coffee shop they were in. She smelled of coffee beans, caramel, lavender, and some strange sickly sweet scent Derek recognizes as chemical. That was the only negative part about her scent, the chemical smell that was swirled in on her homely scent. Was she taking medications like Erica used to?

The thought of her being ill in any way made him silently snarl. He doesn’t want anything to happen to this girl. This sweet smelling girl with the big brown eyes and the pouty lips.

Hold on. Derek shakes his head, getting his thoughts back together before his thoughts run off on him. He’s going to blame most of that on his animalistic side (even though it’s none existent and that’s just him being weird). He brings his attention back to the girl who is giving him a strange look that he doesn’t recognize. He can smell her confusion before it turns to recognition and then sours into annoyance.

“Excuse me, but that’s mine.” She says and Derek has to try his best not to jump in excitement by the sound of her voice. It isn’t light or airy as Derek think’s most girls would have their voice. Rather, it sounds a little gruff, but not enough to sound unpleasant. Mezzo-soprano! That’s what her voice sounds like. Leaning a little towards being monotone. The sound of her voice sends a warm chill down his spine.

“Sorry,” He says as he quickly moves his hand from hers. He even sends her a smile, but she doesn’t look too flattered by it. “You drink it black?”

The girl shrugs, taking the drink and placing the straw in her mouth. Derek watches the way her lips wrap around the straw and he fights himself in trying not to picture anything that would be remotely inappropriate.

“I need as much caffeine as I can get.” She says dismissively before turning around to leave.

“I didn’t catch your name,” Derek says quickly, not wanting to miss his chance. If he was correct and all the signs he just experiences were right, then he may have just found his mate.

All wolves, whether it be born or bitten, have mates. A companion who is basically their other half and compliments the other in every way. Finding a mate among wolves is a rather rare occasion, some wolves find that it’s harder to find their mates than most. However, eventually, they do come across their mate. It just takes some time, and when the moment comes and the wolf locks eyes with their intended, that’s when they become aware of their mates. Of course, it happens differently to every wolf, but there are usually the tell-tale signs when a wolf meets their mate. And Derek is sure he has found his.

“I didn’t give you a name,” The girl retorts, then turns away again.

“My name is-,” Derek begins, but the girl immediately cuts him off.

“I know who _you_ are,” the girl sneers and that does something strange to Derek.

Suddenly, he’s uncomfortable and he can feel the wolf part of him whine in confusion as he stares at the girl. Without another word, the girl disappears through the front door and Derek is left standing there with his mouth agape.

“Ouch,” Erica says from behind him. Derek had forgotten that she was there. “She didn’t even let you down gently. She just went and bit your finger off.”

“Who was she?” Derek couldn’t help but ask. For a moment, Derek was so sure that he had found his mate. Why had she been so closed off to him? Didn’t she feel the pull towards him? His Mom had always said it would be the same for human mates, to feel this overpowering pull towards their mate before they even knew what was happening. Derek knows he couldn’t have been wrong.

“Derek, don’t you remember?” Erica was laughing at him as she came to his side. “That was Stiles Stilinski. Sheriff Stilinski’s daughter? I used to hang out with her and Scott McCall before I got the bite.”

“Wait, that’s _Stiles_?” Derek turned to her incredulously. “That girl was Spazzy Stilinski?”

Back in high school, Derek knew Stiles only as Spazzy Stilinski. The Sheriff’s daughter who wore these huge black rimmed glasses, braces, and oversize plaid shirts. The reason they used to call her Spazzy was because she had a motor mouth and had the tendency to be annoying as hell. She was also known for being the biggest geek when it came to comic books and Star Wars. Stiles hardly had any other friends besides Scott McCall, who was equally as nerdy as she was until he got the bite from a rogue Alpha that came onto his Mom’s territory.

The only reason why he knew of her was because she used to be on the Lacrosse team as their manager and wherever Scott went, so did Stiles. Even though they only meet briefly once or twice, he still found her rather annoying and did his best to avoid her whenever she and Scott came around. Back then, he knew Stiles had had a crush on him and he had heard from Erica that it was a crush that had lasted since the third grade. He honestly felt a little uncomfortable about it, not liking the idea that a spaz like Stiles was into him. Plus, he already had someone else in mind. His ex-girlfriend, Kate Argent, had been the main focus on his mind back then, so having an unwanted crush was a little unnerving.

Then, everything became so awkward for him Senior Year when Stiles tried to ask him out to Prom. She had gone out and got him a heart-shaped pizza and wrote, ‘Will you go to Prom with me?’ on the underside of the lid. Presenting him the pizza during lunch one afternoon. Derek had felt bad when he declined, saying that he had already asked someone else to go with him. Stiles was immediately dejected and left rather quickly, which made Derek feel even more guilty but nonetheless felt relieved. After that, Derek didn’t see Stiles as much anymore. Only on Senior Day when the school held a carnival in the parking lot for the Seniors, and at graduation when her name had been called way after Derek got his diploma. That was the last time Derek had seen Stiles, in all her spazzy glory.

Now, Derek wasn’t convinced that the loud-mouth girl who wore graphic tee shirts and glasses was now this amazingly beautiful girl. The girl who was his mate and had practically given him the cold shoulder like he was nothing. What the hell?

“Oh yeah, that was Stiles, alright,” Isaac says from behind the counter, placing their order onto the smooth wooden surface. “Obviously, she got hot. Ever since she and Lydia Martin became best friends, Lydia has been acting as her personal designer.”

“Lydia Martin?” Derek frowns. Last time he checked, Lydia Martin never associated with anyone like Stiles. Always deeming herself as too good for anyone else to handle.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear?” Isaac picks up a rag and starts wiping down the counter. “Lydia is actually a Banshee. Like those Harbingers of Death? Yeah, Lydia had gone through this weird freak out phase and Stiles was the only one who helped her through it. Lydia lost a lot of friends after that, but Stiles was the only real friend she had who stuck by her the entire time. They’re like sisters now or something.”

“Oh,” Derek says shakenly while turning back to the front door.

“Oh, and Stiles is a singer now.”

“A singer?” Derek turns back, staring at Isaac curiously.

“Yeah. She and Scott have like this band thing going on, Lydia is a part of it, too. And so is Scott’s girlfriend, Allison Argent.” Isaac points to the other side of the shop where there was a small stage set up with some speakers already set up. “They’re called the Howling Wolves and they perform here every Friday night when Mrs. S opens at her late-night hours. I’ve been to a couple of their shows. They’re actually pretty good. My favorite parts are when they do cover songs.”

“Wow, Derek.” Erica patted his shoulders amusingly, providing little to no comfort. “You really fucked up.”

For once, Erica was right. Derek had fucked up. He ruined his chance with being with his mate, all because he was deterred by her outward appearance and the rumors that he heard. He didn’t take the time to actually know Stiles beforehand, maybe then he would have figured out that she was his mate and not waste a year being with Kate.

Well, he can’t change what he did in the past, but he knows what he has to do.

He is going to woo Stiles Stilinski.


	2. She's Too Much For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek tries to woo Stiles, but things aren't going according to plan.  
> ┏༼ ◉ ╭╮ ◉༽┓

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to working on this! Sorry for the long wait, guys! I have just been going through some weird mojos lately, but I'm back in business! Hopefully, I get this done soon! Thank you guys for your comments! They make me feel so appreciated.
> 
> With Love,  
> Jo'E ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡

Derek was impatiently drumming his fingers against the counter. He continues to stare at his watch, waiting for it to strike 8:15. It’s been a week since Derek met his mate and was given the cold shoulder. After the big reveal of Stiles “Spazzy” Stilinski was his mate, Derek took it upon himself to try and woo her into liking him again.

So far, from the information he gathered from Isaac, Stiles liked to come to the shop every morning at 8:15 am and pick up a cup of coffee before heading to work. According to Isaac, she works at a bookstore called Turning Page, and almost every day at lunch, she and her Dad would have lunch together back here. Derek plans to meet with Stiles at her usual time, hopefully not come off as creepy, and strike up a conversation with her. Derek hopes he could find the source of Stiles’ indifference and maybe clear things up with her before he proceeded to woo her, Edward Cullen Style. (Minus the whole vampire and blood thing, because ew.)

That’s why he’s here, growing ever so impatient while he waits for the love of his life (note: exaggeration) to arrive.

Isaac eyes him warily from the other side of the counter, a brow quirked with interest. “Dude, can you not do that? It’s kind of annoying and it makes you look like an overgrown eight-year-old.”

“Sorry,” Derek stops his fingers and clenches his hand into a fist. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t be,” Isaac starts cleaning the counter with a rag. “I’m sure Stiles will like you eventually. Let her blow off some steam and maybe she’ll come around.”

“What if she doesn’t?” Derek’s eyes widen. “What if she ends up hating me more and I’ll never get the chance to be with her? What if she refuses to be my mate and I end up dying sad and lonely with a whole bunch of cats as children? What if your god-kids end up being cats?”

“Dude, relax,” Isaac places a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not going to end up sad and lonely with a bunch of cats posing as the children you’ll never have.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“Because Stiles is a cool girl. She’ll forget all about high school if you show her how much you’ve changed. There is a reason why you two are mates.” Isaac sends him a smirk.

“I guess,” Derek looks down at his drink. “But, I still don’t know if I can convince her otherwise. I don’t really know exactly why she hates me. I mean, yeah I said no to her when she asked me to prom, but can someone really hold a grudge for that?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Isaac shrugs. “But, you can start by getting her to like you. Why don’t you talk to her about the bookstore? She’s a huge nerd when it comes to books.”

Before Derek could reply, he hears the ring of the bell hanging over the front door and whips his head around. And there she was, just as stunning and beautiful as she was before. Stiles had her hair tied into a ponytail with small wisps of hair framing her face. Today, she had on a white tank-top, the tight jean with the knees cut out, a dark gray sweater, and white high tops. And just as before, she took his breath away.

He watched as Stiles went over to the counter, a wide smile on her face as she spoke to Isaac. “Hey, Isaac. Can I have the usual, today?”

“Sure thing,” He nods to her, then starts preparing the drink.

Derek’s hands felt sweaty, and he could feel his heart racing in his chest. She was so close, he could just reach over and take her hand in his if he wanted. Of course, he couldn’t, but the mere thought made him want to roll on his back to show his belly. (Damn Erica and her stupid dog jokes.) He doesn’t think he can do it, but he has to. If he doesn’t go for it now, then how much longer would he ever get his happily ever after? If it were Kate, then he wouldn’t give two shits about it. But it’s Stiles, the love of his life and mate. He just has to.

Derek sucks in a heavy breath and slowly inches towards Stiles, putting on his best smile (which he’s been told many times by a certain Blonde Bombshell that it would make panties wet just by the very sight). “Hey.”

Stiles turns to him- he hasn’t even said more than one word, and she’s already giving him a steely glare. Okay, so she can hold a grudge. That should be a world record or something.

“We kind of got off on the wrong foot the last time we meet,” Derek says, his voice wavering under her stare. “I was hoping maybe we could have a fresh start? Reacquaint ourselves?”

“Gee, that sounds like something I would _love_ to waste time on,” She says, her words dripping with sarcasm. Okay, that kind of stung a little.

“Maybe I deserve that,” Derek strokes his finger into the fabric of his jeans. “But, you have to know that I really do want to get to know you. We’ve hardly talked in high school, and you seemed like an interesting person.”

“Really?” The look on her face was bordering between malicious rage and something else just as deadly. “After what? Two years since high school, and you’ve finally taken notice of me?”

“Well- I mean- I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I wanted to get to know you better, is all.” Derek stammers, quickly looking to Isaac for help. Sadly, he’s busy brewing a new batch of coffee.

“Let me guess,” Stiles pretends to think before looking at him with hard eyes. “You’ve finally figured out that I was your mate?”

“H-How did you…?” Derek was at a loss for words.

“My best friend’s a werewolf, dumbass,” Stiles narrows her eyes at him. “I know all about the whole werewolf mates because I had to do research about it when he discovered that Allison was his mate.”

“Since when?” Derek was both dumbfounded and secretly impressed. He always knew Stiles was one of the clever ones. Laura once called her a mastermind with a pretty face.

“Since high school,” Stiles turns away from him, grinding her jaw from side to side.

“You knew I was your mate since high school?”

“Yeah. It’s didn’t take me long to make the connection. And for some idiotic reason, I believed you would have felt it too,” Stiles crosses her arms over her chest. “But your head was way too high up in your ass to notice.”

“Stiles, I’m sorry,” Derek tries to get her to look at him. “I know I was arrogant back then, but it was high school. I was just a teenager.”

“You don’t get it, Derek,” Stiles grits out.

“Get what?” He frowns, unsure of what she could be talking about.

“Never mind.” Stiles grabs the drink and muffin from the counter and hands Isaac a wad of cash. “It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Yes, it does,” Derek stands up and blocks her from leaving through the door. “Please tell me, what do I not get?”

“Back off, Derek,” Stiles gives him another glare. “You already made your choice. And now I’m making mine. Leave me alone before I get a branch of mountain ash, wrap it in wolfsbane and shove it up your ass.” With that, she passes him through the door as he is left behind staring at her with wide eyes. For someone who seems so nice, he can see that she’s pent up with unexpressed rage.

“I’m guessing that didn’t go too well,” Isaac says, observing from behind the counter.

Derek sighs, running a hand over his face tiredly. “What did I do wrong?”

“Besides doing the opposite of what you had planned, reminding her of her most embarrassing moment, and insulting her intelligence, I think you did fine,” Isaac adds with a wink and a smirk.

“God, my kids are going to be cats,” Derek says dejectedly while returning to his seat.

“Are you going to name one of them after me? You still owe me your first born, or, in this case, your first adopted.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

***

Derek is in the preserve jogging the trails. It’s been only one day since he last tried to talk to Stiles, and so far, he’s gotten nowhere. She won’t let him talk to her, and it’s driving him crazy with the need to prove himself to Stiles. She’s stubborn, but he can be just as stubborn and persistent about it, too. That’s why he’s out here, trying to come up with another way to get her to see that he’s a good guy. That he’s grown out of that arrogant teenage phase and he’s ready to start a serious relationship.

He makes it to the bridge that goes over Willow Creek, one of the many tourist attractions in Beacon Hills. It’s also one of the hotspots for couples to have dates. Already, just as he sets onto the bridge, he can see some couples leaning over the railing to watch the river below. Derek decides to take a break before he jogs back home, leaning against the rails and drinking from his water bottle. He looks through his phone to pass the time, making sure none of his family have texted him and going through his notifications.

“Hale?” A familiar voice call and Derek looks up to see Stiles standing on the bridge too. It looked like she had been running, dressed in tights and a thin t-shirt. By her side was a little black and white Papillion with a pink collar and leash. Stiles was giving him an apprehensive look.

“Oh, hey Stiles,” Derek greets, trying to hide the fact that his hands were getting sweaty again.

“Are you following me?” Stiles asks, looking more peeved than friendly.

“What? No, No, I go on runs through the preserve on weekends. Have to keep in shape,” he explains, a little embarrassed that Stiles would think otherwise. Yeah, he wants to get back in her good graces, but he’s not going to resort to stalking. He’s not Matt Daehler. “Is that your dog?”

Stiles glances down at the dog feverishly wagging her tail. “No, this is Prada. She’s Lydia’s.”

“You’re walking her dog?”

“Lydia’s paying me to take her dog out for her,” Stiles shrugs. “I go through runs in the preserve too, so I thought why not? It’s extra cash, and Prada loves me.”

“That’s nice,” Derek offers her a smile.

“Look, can you drop the whole nice-guy-act, okay?” Stiles shakes her head. “Honestly, it’s getting really annoying.”

“Nice guy act?” Derek frowns. “Stiles, I’m not acting.”

“Then why are you being so nice to me?” Stiles scowls, and the way her lips pout makes Derek gulp in nerves.

“Because I want to?” Derek cringes at how that sounded like a question rather than an answer.

“But why now?” Stiles quirks a brow at him. “You weren’t nice to me back in high school.”

“Are you mad at me because I said no to you when you asked me to prom?” Stiles visibly flinches at the reminder.

“No, I’m not mad at you about that,” Stiles shoots a glare. “I’m mad at you for what you didn’t do. Prom, that was supposed to be my last-ditch effort to get you to sense that I was your mate. Obviously, you failed, but I wasn’t going to hold that against you.”

“What do you mean last-ditch effort?” Derek tilts his head to the side.

“I had this whole plan, after I found out about mates, that I could get you to at least recognize me. I had felt this connection with you already, and if I pushed it just a bit, then maybe you would have sensed me as your mate. I tried everything I could think of without having to blurt it out to you. I know the whole thing was supposed to happen by itself and the rules of the universe, yadda, yadda, yadda.”

“You tried to ask me out?”

“I tried the whole ‘getting to know you’ phase. Don’t you remember me asking you questions?”

“They were mostly questions about werewolves.”

“Didn’t you think that was me basically trying to get to know you?”

“Everyone asks me questions about werewolves.”

“Ugh,” Stiles rolls her eyes. “Look, you can’t say I didn’t try to talk to you first. Really, I did, but you were so far up your ass to really care about what “Spazzy” Stilinski had to say.”

Derek flinches, “You know about that?”

“Yeah, I do,” Stiles narrows her eyes. “I also know about Foureyes, Hyperactive Spaz, Scott’s Loser Friend, and the Goody-Two-Shoes-Sheriff’s Daughter nobody likes to invite to high school parties because somehow I was always the one to blame whenever the police showed up. So, yeah, Derek, I know all about how much of a loser I was in high school.”

“I… I didn’t know about that…” His shoulders had slumped.

“Of course, you didn’t,” Stiles rolls her eyes, then starts walking to the other side of the bridge. “Why would the Basketball Allstar ever know about me?”

“Stiles, wait-,” Before Derek could chase after her, his shoe slips on a puddle. He doesn’t even have the chance to catch himself before he falls flat on his ass. “Ow.”

Just as he goes to pick himself up, he catches the most horrible stench he could ever encounter. He turns and finds that he’s landed ass first into a fresh pile of dog poop. His face scrunches in disgust while turning to see Stiles already jogging away, headphones placed in her ears. Behind her, Prada prances behind, wagging her tail in a smug-like fashion.

***

“Why do you reek like dog poop?” Erica asks, dropping herself into a seat next to Derek. He had been sulking at the coffee shop for over an hour before Erica arrived. It hadn’t even been a day since he had to jog all the way back home with dog shit clinging to his favorite pair of shorts. Derek could have sworn that he scrubbed in the shower before heading over here.

“I fell in some during my jog,” Derek says glumly and Erica snorts.

“Wow, that’s got to suck,” She smirks, “but I bet that’s not what you’re sulking about. Tell Momma all about it, Sugar.”

“I ran into Stiles at Willow Creek,” Derek pouts. “She still thinks I’m an asshole jock-head on the basketball team.”

“Still? Pfft, that was high school. Honestly, I think she’s just acting like a brat.” Erica rolls her eyes.

Derek nearly growls at her, “Stiles is not a brat, Erica.”

“Jeesh, calm your tits down,” Erica scoffs, “I didn’t mean any harm.”

“Sorry,” Derek sighs, and rest his head against his hand. “I just, I want to show Stiles that I’m not like that anymore.”

“She’s probably making you work for it,” Erica places a hand on his shoulder. “You weren’t exactly the nicest guy in high school. With you, it was all about me, me, me.”

“You’re not really helping,” Derek glares at her from the corner of his eye.

“I’m just stating the truth,” Erica shrugs. “Just have patients, Derek. Soon enough she’ll see that you’re not that bad to be around.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“You’ll end up adopting a whole bunch of cats,” Erica says and Derek turns to look at her. “What? Isaac told me how you lamented about having cat-children. Just so you know, you should name one of them after me. I call dibs on the second-born/adopted.”

“You and Isaac are the worst friends ever. I want new friends.”

“Ouch, Der, that just hurts my soul,” Erica smirks. “But, you can’t switch friends. We’re Platonic Soulmates. You’re stuck with us until you die.”

Derek doesn’t hide the groan, but he does hide the smirk.

“Oh, lookie here,” Erica says smoothly, glancing over her shoulder before nudging her elbow in Derek’s ribs. “Looks like Stiles already has herself some arm candy.”

“What?” Derek whips his head around. Immediately, he spots Stiles and some other guy taking a seat on the other side of the café. The guy had dark blond hair and ice blue eyes. The way he was looking at Stiles had set him on edge because, at this point, the little voice in the back of his head was snarling at him to get the guy away from his mate. Derek wanted to, but he had enough self-control to keep him in his seat. “Who is that?”

Erica sizes the guy before turning back to Derek. “If my memory serves me right, that must be Theo Raeken.”

“Theo Raeken?” Derek frowns at her. “You mean the guy who wanted to be a werewolf?”

“The very same,” Erica sneered.

“What is he doing with Stiles?” Derek looks over his shoulder to glare at Theo. He could see that Stiles had taken a seat with her back turned to him. He could only see the back of her head and clearly, see Theo’s face as they converse to each other.

Theo had once gone to his mother, pleading with her to turn him into a werewolf. Supposedly, he wanted to join the Hale pack to impress someone, but his mother wouldn’t go for it. She saw something in him that was dark, and she didn’t want to give the gift to someone who didn’t have good intentions. She already had to handle Peter, taking on someone else was only asking for trouble. To say the least, Derek knew Theo didn’t take it well.

“Looks like they’re on a date,” Erica observes.

“On a date?” Derek turns to Erica, grounding his jaw.

“Well,” Erica shrugs, “Everyone knows that Stiles isn’t hung over you anymore. Something like this was bound to happen at some point.”

“Do you even think I have a chance?” Derek asked dejectedly.

“Look, Der, it’s not the end of the world.” Erica pats Derek’s back. “Girls like Stiles aren’t going to give you a chance if you act like a knight in shining armor. She already knows you, as much as anyone would at first glance. You gotta be you in this case. As you can see,” Erica jerked her thumb towards Theo without looking back, “you’re not the only pretty face around here. The only thing you got is being your old grumpy self. Just be you, and Stiles will remember why she liked you in the first place.”

“Do you honestly think so?”

“Of course,” Erica winks, then pecks his cheek. “Like I said, you just gotta be you. Now, if you don’t mind.” Erica stands back up, “Boyd and I have to head over to the mall. You wanna join?”

Derek glances back at Stiles. He wishes he could see her face. He can only imagine what she looks like smiling and laughing. Maybe, he should just leave her be. If it’s meant to happen, it was going to happen, but not now. It’s clear she’d rather be with someone else other than him at this point. He sighs, then turns back to Erica.

“Yeah, I’ll come.”

Erica smiles, then wraps her hands around his arm to haul him up. “Come on, Grumpy Cat.”

Derek lets her lift him up, then follows her out the door. Not sparing Stiles a glance as he makes his way out.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget the comments! Kudos and Bookmarks are also very much appreciated!


End file.
